Automobile street-sweeper.



No. 669,683. Patented Mar. l2, lam. J. T. coLLms.

AUTOMOBILE STREET SWEEPER.

(Application fildMay 22, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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No. 669,683. Patented Mar. I2, 1901f- J. T. coLLms.

AUTOMOBILE STREET SWEEPER.

( Application filed May 22, 1900.)

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AUTOMOBILE STREET SWEEPER.

(A pplication filed May 22, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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Mrs STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN T. COLLINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO W. L. OURTISS, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMOBILE STREET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 669,683, dated March 12,1901.

Application filed May 22, 1900. Serial No- 17,553. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Street-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, generically,to sweepers of that class known street-sweepers, and is adapted to sweep and collect the dust and refuse from the street-surface, the propelling power being derived from any suitable motor carried on the sweeper, the motive agent of which can be any of the well-known types of machines, such as a steam-engine, electric storage system, gasolene or naphtha engine, or any of the other well-known powergenerating devices.

The general object of my present invention is to furnish an improved automobile streetsweeper that is operated by power which may be of any well-known type.

A further object of my invention is to reduce the running expenses of the sweeper while the same is in operation upon the street by constructing and organizing the parts in such a manner that the manipulating-levers are within easy reach of the operator.

A further object of my invention is to pro vide simple and effective means for engaging ordisengaging the brush-rotating mechanism or the propelling mechanism which drives the sweeper forward with the power-shaft, so that either of the two may be set in operation independently one of the other.

For a better comprehension of my invention attention is called to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein-.-

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved street-sweeper, showing the motor which generates the power by which the sweeper is propelled, as a steam -engine, in connection with a steam-boiler, the smaller details of which are omitted. Fig. 2 is a plan view of that which is shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is a cross-sectional end view taken online '3 3 in the direction of the arrows 8, as seen in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectionalplan view taken on the median line of the counter-shaft and shows its cooperating mechanism, the same being drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is an outside front view of the counter-shaft and its connection to the controlling and actuating mechanism, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the U-shaped traction-wheel axle drawn on a smaller scale.

Similar characters and numerals designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention herein shown and described the automobile street-sweeper comprises a rectangular dust-receiving receptacle having an opening at the lower and rearend, two traction-wheels mounted upon an axle the central portion of which is bent in U shape and disposed transversely across the dust-receptacle, two steering-wheels mounted on the axlecarrier, which is pivoted on the forwardly-extending beams, a suitable motor supported on the dust-receptacle, having a motor-shaft, means for connecting the motor-shaft with the countershaft, controlling mechanism for engaging and disengaging the brush-rotating mechanism to revolve the brush in an opposite direction to the traction-wheels, driving and controlling mechanism operatively connecting the counter-shaft with the equalizing-case and driving mechanism to effectively engage the traction-wheels.

The dust-receiving receptacle, which is designated in a general way by the numeral 10, is of a rectangular cross-section of rigid construction and adapted to receive the various brackets for carrying the several operating and driving devices. The dust-receptacle has an opening l0 at the rear and lower end to afford the operator a better view of the operation of the brush, and through which the brush projects, permitting the same to be lowered, and at the front end it has connected thereto the gooseneck-shaped beam 11, to which is pivoted the steering-wheel-axle carrier 12,provided with the king-bolt 12 the purpose of which will be described later, and this carrier is provided on the outer ends with the axles 13 and 14, adapted to receive the hubs of the steering-wheels l5, properly held to the axle in any well-known manner.

operator will cause an angulardeviation of the steering-wheel-axle carrier in relation to the central median line of the body of the sweeper, changing the angular relation-of the traction-wheels and steering-wheel axles, and thereby directing the movement of the sweeper in a curved .path or to turn a corner,

as .the case may be.

The traction-wheels 23 and 23 are journaled on the axle 24, which is of U shapedconstruction, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6, the two downwardly-projecting sides 24 being fastened to the dust-receptacle 10, thereby sustaining the weight of the same and allowing the .dust and dirt an unobstructed path as it is collected and swept into the receptacle. On the axle 24 and adjacent to each sideof the receptacle are also mounted the :brusharms 25, the rearward extensions of which are provided with bearings 25 adapted to receive for rotation the brush-shaft 26, which projects through openings 10-o,f the dust-receptacle, and to this shaft are rigidly fastened the brush 27 and the sprocket 28. The upward-extending branches of the brush-arms are adapted to receive the pins 29, pivotally jointing the connectingrods 30 to these branches of the arms. The forward-extending ends of the connecting-rods are pivotally connected to the downwardly-depending arms 31, fastened to the shaft 32, which is journaled in the oppositely-disposed bearings 33 and 34 at the front end of the dust-receptacle, and this shaft has also fastened thereto the manipulatinglever 35 directly to the right and in the rear of the seat 16.

By the means just described the operator from his seat 16 can elevate or lower the brush, as desired.

On the top of the dust-receptacle is mounted the motor, which may be of any well-known construction, for driving the motor-shaft 36, in this case represented as an engine 37, with its boiler 33. The motor-shaft is properly journa'led in suitable bearings disposed on each side of the dust-receptacle and is provided with the sprocket 39, over which passes the chain 40 through proper openings in the top and front side of the receptacle to the sprocket 41, which is rigidly supported and held on the counter-shaft 42,which in this case forms a sleeve properly j ourn al ed in the brackets 43 and 44, held on the front side of the dustreceptacle .10. The counter-shaft 42 has fastened theretoon the right-hand side of the opthe gear 48, jou-rnaled in the bracket 49, and

engages the gear 50, which is journaled on the stud 51, securely fastened in the bracket 49,

and that gear has securely held on its hub a I sprocket 52.

By the means just described the direction of the rotation of the counter-shaft and the sprocket-wheel52 is reversed. A sprocket- .chain53, @passing-overthe sprocket-wheels 52 and 28, operativelyconnects and transmits the motion from the countershaft to the brush-shaft 26. Asa convenient means for engaging and disengaging these shafts Ihave provided the lever 54, having a projection 55 engaging a groove of the clutch-coupling 46, and the same is pivoted by the pin 56 to a laterally-extending lugon the bracket 49, and wherebytheclutch member 46 may beaxially moved into vor outof operative engagement with the clutch member 47, thereby controlling the rotation of the .brush.

I will now describe the means whereby the sweeperis propelled forward.

As each traction-wheel is driven positively from .one power-shaft, it is a well-known fact that a certain amount of slipping on oueof the traction --wheels must occur when the sweeper turns a cor-neror moves inany curved path it no suitable means are interposed between the power-shaft and the traction-wheels. To obviate thisslipping and to overcome the difficulties which arise therefrom, I have interposed between the countc-rshaft 42 and the traction-wheels 23 theequalizing-case 57, constructed in halves, which supports the transversely-disposed cross-head 58, on which are adapted to revolve the oppositely-disposed planet-gears 59, meshing into the miters 60, which are rigidly fastened to the laterallyextcnding and axially-alined shafts 61 and 62,

respectively, each having a reduced end near the miters 60,which project into and are adapted to revolve in a properly-arranged bearing of the transversely-disposed cross-head 58.

members 65 and 66, which control the driving or propelling of the sweeper, I have arranged the lever 68, which is provided with the projection 69, the lower end of that lever being pivotally connected by the pin 70 to a the outside the sprocket-wheel 73.

wheels 23 and 23*, and thereby effectively transfer a rotary motion from the axiallyalined shafts 61 and 62 to the traction-wheels 23 and 23", respectively.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Power whichhas been applied to the motorshaft 36 byany of the well-known methods,and in this case by the engine shaft, transfers a rotary motion, by means of the sprocket 39 and the chain 40, to the sprocket-wheel 41 and counter-shaft 42, When the sweeper is to be propelled forward, the operator engages the clutch member 66 with the clutch of the equalizing-case 57, and the sweeper will be propelled forward. As long as the steeringwheels are in parallelism with the tractionwheels the sweeper will move in a straight line, and the planet-gears 59 will simply act as a dog between the'miters 60, and therefore revolve the shafts 61 and 62 at a uniform speed. When the sweeper moves in a curved path or turns a corner to either side, the circumferential speed of the traction-wheels will vary and the planet-gears 59 will revolve slightly upon the axle of the transversely-disposed cross-head 58 in one direction or the other, according to the curved path in which the sweeper may be directed. The countershaft 42, which is also operatively engaged by the clutch-coupling 46, will, when engaged into the coupling 47, revolve the gear 48, thereby revolving the sprocket 52, which again revolves the brush-shaft, with the brush 27, in the opposite direction of the tractionwheels 23 and 23, and by lowering the brush to the desired extent by means of the lever 35 the dustwill be swept into the dust-receiver as the sweeper. is propelled forward.

I claim 1. In combination with an automobile street-sweeper, the dust-receptacle having the U-shaped traction-axle, a transversely-disposed opening in the lower rear end of the dust receptacle, the forwardly extending beam, the steering-wheel-axle carrier pivotally supported in the beam, the steeringwheels journaled on the carrier, the powerdriven motor-shaft,'the counter-shaft, means for operatively connecting the power-shaft with the counter-shaft, the traction-wheels, means foroperatively connecting the traction-wheels to the counter-shaft, the brush, and means for driving the brush in an opposite direction to the traction-wheels, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the d net-receiving receptacle having the forwardly-extending beam, the steering-wheel-axle carrier pivoted for oscillatory motion to the beam, steeringwheels journaled to the axle-carrier, the U- shaped traction-axle, traction-wheels journaled on the traction-axles, means for propelling the traction-wheels, the brush, means for revolving the brush in a reverse direction to the traction-wheels, and means for raising and lowering the brush, substantially as described.

3. In combination with an automobile street-sweeper, the dust-receiving receptacle, steering-wheels supporting substantially as described the forward end of the dust-receptacle, traction -wheels supporting substantially as described the rear end of the dustreceptacle, the power-driven motor-shaft supported for rotation on the top of the dust-receptacle, the counter-shaft, means for operatively connecting the motor-shaft with the counter-shaft, means for operatively connecting the counter-shaft with the traction-wheels to rotate both in the same direction, arms supporting the brush and pivoted to the traction-axle, means for operatively connecting the counter-shaft with the brush to rotate the same in a reverse direct-ion, and means for engaging and disengaging the counter-shaft with the brush-rotating mechanism, substantially as described.

at. In combination with an automobile street-sweeper, the dust-receiving receptacle, steering-wheels supporting substantially as described the forward end of the dust-receptacle, traction-wheels supporting substantially as described the rear end of the dustreceptacle, the power-driven motor-shaft supported for rotation on the top of the dust-receptacle, the counter-shaft, means for operatively connecting the motor-shaft with the counter-shaft, means for operatively connecting the counter-shaft with the traction-wheels to rotate both in the same direction, arms supporting the brush and pivoted to the traction-axle, means for operatively connecting the counter-shaft with the brush to rotate the same in a reverse direction, means for raising and lowering the brush, and means for engaging and disengaging the counter shaft with the brush-rotating mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In combination with an automobile street-sweeper, the dust-receiving receptacle, steering-wheels supporting substantially as described the forward end of the dust-receptacle, traction wheels supporting substantially as described the rear end of the dustreceptacle, the power-driven motor-shaft supported for rotation on the top of the dust-receptacle, the counter-shaft, means for operatively connecting the motor-shaft with the A eeegess counter-shaft, means for operatively connect- 'with the traction-Wheels, substantially deing the counter-shaft with the traction-Wheels scribed. no to rotate both in the same direction, arms sup- Signed byme at Hartford,Connecticut, this porting the brush and pivoted to the traction- 21st day of May, 1900. v

axle, means for operatively connecting the JOHN T. COLLINS. counter-shaft with the brush to rotate the Witnesses: V same in a reverse direction, and means for WALDO L. OURTISS,

engaging and disengaging the counter-shaft ED. E. CLAUSSEN. 

